Chapter 9 Imperturable Charm

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Professor Flitwick, perched atop his usual stack of books, was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Settle down, settle down!" he squeaked, waving his wand to dim the chatter. "Today, we embark on a charm that is both delightful and deceptively complex. The Imperturbable Charm!"

A murmur ran through the class. At the front, Hermione Granger straightened, her quill poised over a fresh sheet of parchment. Beside her, Ron Weasley looked less enthused. "Imperturb-what?" he whispered to Harry. "Sounds like something Percy would use to keep us out of his room."

But Jonathan Blackwood, sitting just behind them, felt a jolt of recognition. The Imperturbable Charm. He'd read about this in "Order of the Phoenix," hadn't he? The twins had used it to eavesdrop on Order meetings. A privacy spell, essentially.

"Now," Flitwick continued, "the incantation is 'Impervius Totalus.' The wand movement is a tight spiral, followed by a sharp jab, like so." He demonstrated, his wand leaving a trail of silver sparks. "When cast correctly, it creates a barrier that blocks sound, small objects, and even some types of magic. Quite useful for studying in a noisy common room, eh?"

As the class began practicing, Jonathan closed his eyes for a moment, visualizing the spell. In his mind, he saw the pages of the book, the descriptions of the Weasley twins' antics. But more than that, he thought about the nature of the spell. A barrier, a shield against disruption. It was about creating a space of calm, of focus.

"Mr. Blackwood?" Flitwick's voice broke through his thoughts. "Are you quite alright?"

Jonathan opened his eyes to find the entire class staring at him. Malfoy, from the Slytherin side of the room, smirked. "Sleeping through class, Blackwood? Or just daydreaming about your home?"

"Neither, Professor," Jonathan said, ignoring Malfoy's jibe. "I was just... visualizing the spell. Trying to understand its essence."

Flitwick's eyebrows rose. "Its essence? Most intriguing. And what, pray tell, did you discern?"

Jonathan took a breath. "It's about creating a space of calm, isn't it? Like when you're reading a book, and the world just... fades away. The Imperturbable Charm does that literally. It's not just blocking noise; it's creating a bubble of tranquility."

The classroom was silent. Even Hermione looked impressed. Flitwick clapped his tiny hands. "Excellently put, Mr. Blackwood! Five points to Gryffindor. Understanding a spell's nature often leads to better casting. Now, let's see your attempt."

Jonathan raised his wand. "Impervius Totalus," he said, his wand moving in the tight spiral, then jabbing. A faint, iridescent bubble shimmered around his desk before fading.

Flitwick let out a delighted squeal. "Marvelous! On your first try! Mr. Blackwood, I do believe you've found your charm!"

As the class returned to practice, Jonathan caught Hermione's eye. She gave him a smile, but there was a question in it too. How had he known? How did he always seem to know?

On the Slytherin side, Malfoy's scowl could have curdled milk. He jabbed his wand aggressively, but only managed to send his inkwell flying across the room, splattering Crabbe with emerald ink.

By the end of the lesson, only a handful of students had managed a passable Imperturbable Charm. Hermione, of course. A Ravenclaw named Anthony Goldstein. And, to everyone's surprise, Neville Longbottom, after Jonathan whispered a few tips ("Imagine you're in your gran's garden, and you've found a quiet spot away from her nagging").

As they filed out, Flitwick called out, "Mr. Blackwood, a moment!" Jonathan waved Harry and Ron on, then approached the professor's desk.

"That was quite impressive today," Flitwick said, his eyes twinkling. "First the Levitation Charm, now this. You seem to have a knack for understanding the heart of a spell."

Jonathan felt his face warm. "Thank you, Professor. I just... I try to feel the magic, not just memorize the steps."

"A rare gift," Flitwick nodded. "Most first-years are so focused on wand movements and pronunciations that they forget magic is also about intent, about understanding. Tell me, have you considered joining the Charms Club? We meet every other Tuesday."

"I'd love to!" Jonathan said, his mind already racing with possibilities. Extra practice, learning advanced charms early. Things that could help Harry, help all of them, in the challenges he knew were coming.

As he left the classroom, he found Hermione waiting. Her expression was a mix of admiration and... was that suspicion? "That was brilliant, Jonathan," she said as they walked. "But..."

"But how did I know?" Jonathan finished. She nodded. He sighed. He'd known this conversation was coming. Hermione was too smart, too observant, to not notice his... anomalies.

"I can't explain everything ," he said slowly.

Hermione studied him, her brown eyes searching. Then, to his relief, she nodded. "Okay. I trust you, Jonathan. Just... when you can tell me, will you?"

"You'll be the first to know," he promised. And he meant it. If anyone could handle the truth about his world-hopping, book-knowledge situation, it was Hermione Granger.

That evening, after a dinner where he barely tasted his shepherd's pie (he was too busy watching Quirrell, noting how the professor's turban seemed to twitch when Harry was near), Jonathan found himself in the Gryffindor common room. Most of the students had drifted off to bed, lulled by the crackling fire and the gentle hooting of owls outside.

But Jonathan was wide awake. His wand was in his hand, and his mind was on the Imperturbable Charm. Flitwick had said it blocked sound and small objects. But what else? How far could he push it?

"Impervius Totalus," he whispered, making the spiral motion. The iridescent bubble appeared around him, muffling the fire's crackle and the wind's whistle. But Jonathan wasn't satisfied. He focused harder, imagining the bubble not just as a barrier, but as a lens, a filter.

He tried again, pouring more intent into the spell. This time, the bubble shimmered with a faint rainbow hue. Curious, Jonathan picked up a nearby quill and tossed it. Instead of bouncing off, it slowed as it hit the bubble, then drifted through, falling softly to the ground.

"Wicked," Jonathan breathed. He'd modified the charm, made it selectively permeable. It still blocked sound and fast-moving objects (he tested this by flicking a Bertie Bott's bean at it), but gentle, intentional movements could pass through.

His mind raced with possibilities. This could be huge. Sneaking past Filch, avoiding rogue Bludgers, maybe even... His thoughts stuttered. The troll. Halloween was coming. In his world, in the books, Harry and Ron had saved Hermione from a mountain troll in the girls' bathroom. But would it happen the same way here? And if it did, could this modified charm help?

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